This 10-part documentary - 500 minutes on three discs - is a first-rate British production from 2002, beautifully narrated by Jonathan Lewis and based on Hew Strachan's book. It brings to light many of the intricacies of the war, both political and military, and it clears up many common misconceptions. For example, contrary to what is often asserted, the leaders of the warring nations did not expect a short, easy war. Their respective publics did, but they knew better. Also, though we might associate German atrocities with World War II, such horrors were taking place in World War I, as well. Within just a few weeks of marching into Belgium, the Germans were murdering entire towns full of civilians. It was madness.

The documentary doesn't push any overarching theories, but it does seem that the cause of the war was a combination of German ambition and British over-extension - the British had taken on too big an empire to control. Germany was on the rise, and Britain was beginning its decline. It was also a fight for ownership of the future between military dictatorship and democracy - and a test to see if the liberal institutions of the latter could withstand a challenge from the former. One of the things you end up thinking about is whether the United States should have stayed out of this mess. I could argue this either way, but I've always leaned toward the idea that this was, from the U.S. perspective, an unnecessary war. The counter-argument, though, is that with Europe about to commit suicide, some country was going to emerge as the world's dominant power, and better it should be the United States. Anyway, I intended to watch 10 minutes and instead watched all 10 episodes. It's very well made - and a good way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the war's beginning.